A First of September to Remember
by Teddylonglong
Summary: ONE-SHOT. From his arrival at King's Cross to the end of the welcoming feast at Hogwarts, Harry's first of September is going to be extraordinary. Completely AU! Just a drabble for fun and entertainment


**A First of September to Remember**  
 **by Healer Pomfrey**

 _All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes._

 **COMPLETELY AU. Dumbledore/Weasley bashing! Just for fun!**

* * *

Harry Potter was pushing his trolley through King's Cross in confusion, wondering where to find platform nine and three quarters. Fortunately, he had arrived early enough at the station to be able to spend at least an hour searching for the Hogwarts Express.

Hearing the word 'Muggle' made him look around to where he spotted a red headed woman, who was accompanied by what seemed to be at least half a dozen children with the same colour of hair. Before he knew what happened, the woman addressed him in a seemingly friendly voice, making Harry wonder why she knew his name, when she grabbed his arm and attempted to lead him into the direction where her family was just heading.

However, not being used to be touched other than by his uncle when he punished him, Harry instinctively let out a small shout of protest, which alerted the nearby station staff of a possible attempt of abduction.

While the redheaded woman still tried to pull Harry with her, ushering her children towards a wall between platform nine and ten, the station staff had made a quick phone call, and in the blink of an eye, the redhead was being questioned by the police and taken into custody. Her oldest son accompanied his mother, pulling along his small sister, after ordering his younger brothers to travel to Hogwarts.

Hiding behind a group of travellers who were apparently waiting for a train on platform ten, Harry observed with bewilderment how the three children ran through the wall between the two platforms. He was just about to leave his hideout and carefully make his way through the same wall, when a girl addressed him. She was pushing a trolley similar to his and seemed to be about the same age as himself.

"Hello there, are you travelling to Hogwarts, too?" she asked, seemingly hesitant.

"Yes," Harry replied, smiling at the girl, who looked very friendly. "I'm a first year."

"Me too," the girl informed him, returning the smile, before she introduced herself as Hermione Granger. "These are my parents."

Harry politely greeted the Grangers, who also smiled at him with a kindness that no one had ever showed him before.

 _'Hermione and her parents seem very nice,'_ Harry thought, when he wearily followed the chatting girl along the platform.

"Professor McGonagall showed us that we have to run through this wall," she finally told Harry, and the two first-years decided to make their way onto platform nine and three quarters together.

HP

Harry smiled as he helped Hermione lift her suitcase onto the train, and the two first-years were happy to find an empty compartment.

"Will you be my friend?" Hermione queried, when they let themselves sink onto the seats next to the window in relief.

"I'd like that," Harry replied, shyly, admitting in a small voice, "I've never had a friend before."

"Nor have I," Hermione agreed. "Everyone only thought I was a freak."

"Same here," Harry said, nodding in understanding, just when the door opened and a boy with brown hair and a shy smile looked into the compartment.

"Excuse me, may I sit here?" he asked in a soft voice, causing Harry to pat onto the seat next to him.

"Of course, come in," Hermione replied, smiling friendly at the new boy. "We're first-years, too."

The boy introduced himself as Neville Longbottom, and, upon getting to know Harry's name, said, "I know your name. My mother was your godmother and yours was mine. Too bad that they're both not available, otherwise we'd have grown up together."

"It's still not too late to be friends," Harry replied, gently, reaching for Neville's toad that had chosen that instant to attempt to flee from his owner's pocket.

"I don't know what his problem is," Neville said, gratefully taking back his toad. "Usually, he keeps close to me."

However, during the train ride, the toad kept trying to get away, and Harry almost had the impression as if something was wrong with the small animal.

In the meantime, another girl had entered their compartment and sat next to Hermione, diverting the attention from the toad for the time being. She introduced herself as Susan Bones, and the four new first-years happily chatted away, as the train pulled northwards.

By the time they finally reached Hogsmeade, Harry had the impression as if he had already gained three friends. He also had become used to Trevor trying to flee and was helping Neville to keep an eye on his familiar. However, after reaching Hogsmeade, the toad apparently chose Neville's robe pocket as the safest place for the moment.

HP

It was only when the complete first-year group was standing in the castle listening to Professor McGonagall's explanation about the four houses of Hogwarts that Trevor once again left his safe spot and hurried towards the professor.

Being instructed to wait for a moment while the professor went to make sure that everything was ready for the Sorting, Harry glanced at Neville. "Leave him there and let me try something," he whispered to his friend.

From a time when he had been very small onwards, Harry had known that he was sometimes able to wish for things. _'I wish to be able to speak with the toad and ask him what's wrong,'_ he thought, trying to concentrate on making his hands tingly like he had unconsciously done before.

Under the disbelieving eyes of the other first-years, Harry transformed into a toad.

=Trevor, what's wrong?= he asked the other toad, who ran over to Harry as soon as he could.

=Can you understand me?= he queried in clear delight. =Thank you so much for transforming into a toad to speak with me. You must know that I'm not a real toad. I'm a wizard like everyone else here, but Augusta transfigured me into a toad ten years ago. Please ask Professor McGonagall to transfigure me back. I'm Algie, Neville's uncle Algie.=

=All right,= Harry could only promise, before he hurriedly had to wish himself back into his human form, as the deputy headmistress chose that instant to collect the first-years for the Sorting.

"He's not a toad, he's your uncle Algie," Harry whispered to Neville, who stopped dead in his tracks, not realising that the professor was only waiting for them, Susan and Hermione.

"Professor," Neville immediately addressed McGonagall, completely unaware of her grim expression, "my toad just told Harry that he's not a real toad but my Uncle Algie. Could you please transfigure him back?"

The professor's expression changed from displeasure to complete disbelief, before she pointed her wand at the toad on the floor in front of her.

An instant later, an old wizard had replaced the small animal. "Minerva, thank you so much," he blurted out, pulling the stern witch into a fierce hug. "I'll never forget what you've done for me."

"Just come with me to the head table for the time being," McGonagall instructed her former classmate. "The Sorting is going to commence shortly."

HP

Harry waited, impatiently, for the Sorting Hat to call his name. His hopes of being sorted together with his friends had already collapsed when Hermione had been sorted into Ravenclaw, while Susan ended up in Hufflepuff and Neville in Gryffindor.

He was not overly surprised when the Hat finally shouted, "Slytherin." _'Of course, I get three friends for the first time in my life and we all end up in different houses,'_ he thought in frustration, as he headed over to the Slytherin table, unaware that for some people a world had just broken together because of his Sorting.

Summoning his wish magic, he thought to Hermione, Susan and Neville, 'Don't worry, we'll find a way to meet outside of class and spend our time together.'

HP

Harry took a seat at the Slytherin table, next to Draco Malfoy, where he was soon joined by Blaise Zabini. To his relief, all of his housemates seemed to be very friendly, and when the meal popped up on the table in front of him, he could not believe his luck. _'So much food, and it looks delicious,'_ he thought as he shyly followed his housemates' example and placed a little of everything onto his place.

He was still thoroughly enjoying his food as well as the older students' explanations about Slytherin house, the professors, classes and Hogwarts in general, when an old barn owl landed on the table, holding out her left foot to him.

"That's a Howler," Draco spoke up in clear surprise, eyeing the red letter in Harry's hand with an expression of pure disgust.

"Open it quickly. The longer you wait, the worse it'll get," Blaise advised him, causing Harry to hesitantly open the parchment.

Immediately, a woman's voice filled what seemed to be the whole Great Hall.

 _'Harry Potter, how dare you give me out to the Muggle police! We merely wanted to help you onto platform nine and three quarters like we promised the headmaster, when he offered to pay Ronald's school fees if he friended you in return. I strongly advise you to listen to your elders in the future.'_

Harry couldn't help feeling absolutely horrified to be shouted at by an unknown woman in front of the whole Great Hall. _'The Dursleys were right. I'm a good-for-nothing freak,'_ he thought, sadly.

"That was Mrs. Weasley," Draco informed him in a small voice. "No one cares what that woman says."

Nevertheless, Harry was shocked, and his horror only intensified, when Professor McGonagall called him and Ron Weasley to the high table.

"Mr. Potter, what exactly happened?" she asked in a strict but still friendly voice, making Harry tell her the story that an unknown woman had grabbed his arm on the platform trying to pull him into the direction of her family.

"That's why Percy's still not here," the other boy threw in sounding very upset. "The Muggle police arrested my mother." He glared at Harry, who merely shrugged.

"I'm sorry for what happened," McGonagall finally said to Harry. "I am sure that Mrs. Weasley did not have any bad intentions, even if it was not correct what she did and your reaction was certainly no reason to send you that Howler.

Their conversation was interrupted by the red headed twins, who approached the small group with a parchment in their hands.

"Professor... "

"... can you please tell us..."

"... who Peter Pettigrew is?..."

"... He's been together with the three of you since Ron and Harry came to speak with you," they addressed their head of house.

Her expression becoming stern, McGonagall reached out for the parchment, demanding, "Show me that." Staring at the map the twins handed her, seemingly hesitant, her eyes widened in disbelief, before she asked, crisply, "Mr. Weasley, do you have anything in your robe pockets, like a pet or something?"

Apparently having no clue what the conversation was about, Ronald pulled his rat out of his robe pocket and handed it to the professor.

Harry observed in confusion how the professor placed the rat on the floor, stunned it and with another flick of her wand transfigured it into a man who remained on the floor, still stunned.

"Thank you Messrs. Weasley for bringing this to my attention," she finally said, glancing at Harry.

Harry even had the impression as if her eyes lingered on him for quite a while, almost so as if something was wrong, before she once more let her eyes wander over the twins' parchment. However, he became alert, when the professor suddenly let out a huge gasp and walked along the head table only to stun one of the professors, who collapsed on the floor.

 _'That's Professor Quirrell, the stuttering one with the strange turban,'_ he realised, just when the headmaster rose from his chair.

"Minerva, what's going on here?" he asked in a stern voice.

"The map shows Quirinus Quirrell together with Tom Riddle," McGonagall replied, seemingly upset. "I suggest that you call the Aurors to get rid of Quirrell and Pettigrew. Please also make sure that Sirius Black receives an immediate trial, as he seems to at least be innocent of the thirteen murders," she added, glaring daggers at the stunned wizard next to her.

The Aurors had just taken Quirrell and Pettigrew into custody and taken them away by Portkey, when Mrs. Weasley strode into the Great Hall accompanied by Percy.

"One hundred points each to Gryffindor," McGonagall once again turned to the twins, who were still standing next to their brother Ron.

"Thank you Professor..."

"... and could we please have our map back," the twins replied, grinning mischievously.

"I shouldn't..." McGonagall said, before she relented and handed the map back, making the twins promise that they'd not use it to harm fellow students.

Only when Mrs. Weasley began to speak addressing the headmaster and the deputy headmistress, did Harry realise that Susan, Hermione, Neville, Draco and Blaise had followed him to the head table. _'My friends,_ ' he thought, feeling happier than he had ever felt before.

"I'm sorry Albus and Minerva for Percy being late," Mrs. Weasley said, glaring at Harry.

"It's all right. Please leave the Great Hall now," McGonagall replied in a firm voice.

"I believe you must speak with Harry Potter..." Mrs. Weasley continued, however, only to be interrupted by the headmaster.

"I think you've done enough harm for one evening," Dumbledore said, sternly.

"But it was only because of my arrangement with you," Mrs. Weasley said, incredulously.

"First of all, the arrangement certainly didn't include that you spill it out to Mr. Potter," McGonagall replied, clearly upset, "and secondly, I hope that this agreement did not even exist in the first place." Smiling at Harry, she added, "In contrary to your son Ronald, Harry does not seem in need of a friend anyway. He seems to have already made friends in all four houses. Twenty points to Slytherin for this achievement, Mr. Potter."

"Thank you Professor," Harry replied, happily, inwardly grinning at the professor's next words.

"Algie Longbottom, we find ourselves in dire need of a new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Would you be willing to step in for the time being?"

Algie Longbottom rose from his seat, before he replied, "I gladly accept the post, Minerva."

HP

Harry and his friends returned to their respective house tables, and the three Slytherins had just taken their seats, when the Bloody Baron showed up and introduced himself as the ghost of Slytherin house.

"That was a Sorting to remember," he said, chuckling at Harry, before he headed over to the high table, where all the four heads of the houses seemed to be engrossed in a quarrel against the headmaster.

 **The End**


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